European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 162007 stars and stripes Page 31 Brown Doest let Niagara fall purple eagles can play on after seniors playing Effort by Joe Kay the associated press Dayton seniors Ca reer night let Niagara make the Best of an unwanted situation Clif Brown made a career High six three Pinters part of a 32point performance tuesday night during a 7769 Victory Over Florida that opened the Mcaa tournament and got Niagara reconsidering its feelings about the playing game its fun said Brown who scored 24 in the second half in Loving it winning will do that the purple eagles 2311 were stunned and bewildered when they got sent to Dayton in Stead of directly into the first round of the tournament the metro Atlantic champions thought they deserved better Niagara got its first Mcaa tournament Victory in 37 years and its Hope for Chance to pull off an Al time upset the purple eagles head to Chicago for a game against Kansas the top seed in the West regional we just look for the next task keep moving keep making history Forward or Duffey said by contrast Florida 2114 went Home with a very bad taste from its very Brief tournament stay in the week leading up to Selec Tion sunday coach Mike Gillespie lobbied for the mideastern athletic conference champs to avoid the playing game he spoke from experience Al Niagara Forward Cliff Brown shoots a three Pointer Over Florida Forward Darius Glover in the second half on tuesday Brown hit six three pointers and scored 32 Points to Lead Niagara to a 7769 Victory Florida also played in Day ton four years ago beating be High in the playing before losing to Kentucky by 20 Points this time the rattlers were playing their fourth game in seven Days while Niagara had a week off after winning its Confer ence tournament we Haven had a Chance to savor winning the mean tournament and now were feeling about As Low As we can feel Gillespie said we earned the right to be a Cinderella we won three games in the conference three grueling games we deserve the right even As a no 16 seed let us be Cinderella let us Wear the slip per for at least one game the rattlers didst bring a Pep band or cheerleaders to the playing they didst have a clue about How to Stop Brown either his Range surprised us Gillespie said he made some Tough shots and clearly was the difference in the game the senior Forward with the soft touch became indispensable in the second half when leading Niagara scorer Charron Fisher 21 Points per game picked up his third foul Early and then his fourth with to go Brown asserted himself making the big shot every time Florida would score a couple of baskets and get a double digit deficit Down to six Points our team never knows who going to be the Guy said Brown who finished 10for18 from the Field and 6fofll from behind the arc i hit a few shots in the first half and i was still feeling pretty Good so i took a few More and it turned out Good at the Start of the season Niagara was known More for what was going on in the courts than on the court Fisher was suspended by the school for the first eight games for his role in attacking a Pitcher on the Niagara baseball team outside a bar five other Niagara basketball players served suspensions rang ing from one to two games the purple eagles started 16 and had the look of a team in trouble we never lost Hope coach Joe Mihalich said we truly believed we could be the Best team in our league and go to the Mcaa tournament if we kept our Heads together and we did the rattlers Are going to need some time to get this one out of their Heads they went 4for17 from behind the arc and a stun Ning 7for18 from the free throw line at one Point in the second half Florida missed six of its seven free throws during a 43second Span and the rattlers  shake the feeling they  have been there anyway let the last two a Large teams come to this game Gillespie said we won our tournament we didst finish second or third we didst lose in the first round All the games we won the tournament we won and we still had to come Here late Start in preparation wont hinder Kansas by Steve Brisendine the associated press Lawrence Kan none of the other no 1 seeds in the Mcaa tournament had to wait until tues Day night to find out who they play in the first round Kansas coach Bill self didst sound too concerned the Quick turnaround is no Dif Ferent than a wednesday Satur Day monday and weve done four of those this year said self whose second ranked Jay Hawks 304 Are the top seed in the West regional i dont think its a Nega Tive we would not have prepared for whoever were playing the celtics the lakers anybody on monday we took the Day off Kansas which was 40 in those monday games will meet Niagara which beat Florida in tuesday nights playing game that game will be Friday in Chi Cago but while the other top seeds Ohio state Florida and North Carolina could Start focusing on the first round when the bids were announced sunday self said he want in favor of adding a playing game to each bracket to even things out i know that the two schools that Are playing a disappointed to be playing in the playing game so Why would you put eight in the same scenario he said if you did that youd be adding three More teams to the tournament if youre going to expand it then do it but not at the expense of teams that have busted their Tail getting there Kansas situation actually Bene fits the Jay Hawks Sophomore for Ward Brandon Rush said we get to scout our opponents right away by watching the game tonight he said i think its an advantage to us if self does have a concern its that the no 1 seed brings More distractions for his players especially those who want to move on to the Aba Guys have to play for Kan Sas he said there will be agents and runners that will Tell them to do this or that and Tell them this is their moment to Shine i dont buy in to any of that stuff and our players dont either players  even try to balance the two sides self said i told our Guys that they Arent so smart that they think they can handle what the coaches Are say ing because it is Good for the team but that they can also Han dle the other things because they Are Good for me he said we All have to buy into the fact that this is All Good for everyone if we do that Well be Fine that  be a problem Rush said in focused on what in try ing to do Here he said in try ing to win a National Champion ship in keeping my mind focused on that and the whole teams keeping focused on that self said he expected both of his big men freshman Darrell Arthur and Junior Sasha Kaun to be ready for fridays game Arthur who sustained a Bone Bruise when he was kneed in the Groin in sundays big 12 title game said tuesday that he was ready to practice they told me it want any thing but a Little Bruise on the Bone he said i knew id be Able to go Kaun Hurt his Back diving for a Loose rebound in sundays game an 8884 overtime Victory Over Texas Sasha will not do Contact today and hopefully limited con tact tomorrow self said Sasha is very sore and swollen that was a lot harder fall than i thought it was  tournament glance opening round at us Arena Dayton Ohio tuesday March 13 Niagara 77 Florida 69 East regional first round thursday March 15 at Lawrence Joel veterans memorial coliseum Winston satan no Boston College 2011 is Texas tech 2112 Georgetown 266 is Belmont 239 Marquette 249 is Michigan state 2211x North Carolina 286 is Eastern Kentucky 2111 at Arco Arena Sacramento Calif Washington state 257 is Oral Roberts 2310 Vanderbilt 2011 is George Washington Friday March 16 at Spokane memorial Arena Spokane Wash Texas 249 is new Mexico state 258 Southern California 2311 is Arkansas 2113 ind round Jay March 17 at Lawrence Joel veterans memorial coliseum is Boston col tech North Kentucky is mar state at Arco Arena Sacramento Calif Washington Roberts is Vander Washington sunday March 18 at Spokane memorial Arena Spokane Wash Mexico state is Southern Cali South regional first round thursday March 15 at Rupp Arena Lxi Iratoff Kyt Louisville 239 is Stanford 1812 Texas 256 is Pennsylvania 228 Ohio St 303 is Central Conn St 2211 Brigham Young 258 is Xavier 248 rmaymarchl6 at nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio Virginia 2010 is Albany by 239 Tennessee 2210 is Long Beach St 247 at new Orleans Arena new Orleans Memphis 303 is North Texas 2310 Nevada 284 is Creighton 2210 second round saturday March 17 at Rupp Arena Lex Nolton by Ohio St is Texas is afm Ftp  Araim by is bean state at new Orleans Arena new Orleans Texas is Midwest regional first round thursday March is at Hsc Arena Buffalo by Maryland 248 is Davidson 294 Butler 276 is old Dominion 248 Friday March 16 at the United Center Chicago univ 286 is Georgia tech 2011 Wisconsin 295 is Texas 266 at Spokane memorial Arena Spokane Wash notre Dame 247 is Winthrop 284 Oregon 267 is Miami Ohio 1814 at new Orleans Arena new Orleans Arizona 2010 is Purdue 2111 Florida 295 is Jackson state 2113 second round saturday March 17 at Sec Arena Buffalo by is Domin Ion sunday March 18 at the United Center Chicago is Gia tech at Spokane memorial Arena Spokane Wash Ohio is notre Throp at new Orleans Arena new Orleans state is West regional first round thursday March 15 at Hsc Arena Buffalo by Duke 2210 is Virginia Commonwealth 276 Pittsburgh 277 is Wright state 239 at Arco Arena Sacramento Calif Urcla 265 is Weber state 2011 Indiana 2010 is Gonzaga 2310 Friday March 16 at the United Center Chicago Kansas 304 is Niagara 2311 Kentucky 2111 is Villanova 2210 at nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio Virginia tech 2111 is Illinois 2311 s Illinois 276 is holy Cross 258 second round saturday March 17 at Hsc Arena Buffalo by state is Commonwealth at Arco Arena Sacramento Calif state is sunday March 18 at nationwide Arena Columbus Ohio s Cross is a at the United Center Chicago is